Against All Odds
by Klausykins
Summary: Rebekah Mikaelson just cannot win when it comes to men. She's become so desperate she's leaving it up to her brothers to provide suitable choices for her. Will they choose the right one? Will she make the right choice and finally find that love she's been searching for? AU/AH: Set in San Francisco; Mabekah, Klaroline, Kalijah, Stebekah, Jerbekah, and Original family bonding.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Here is my new story! : ) **

**I am super, SUPER excited about this one and I really hope you all give it a chance. As you can see from the description, this isn't going to be a Klaroline centric fic. I know...maybe not what you guys were hoping for or expecting. But, I still urge you to give it a shot and read the first chapter before you just go NAWWW NO THANKS. ; ) There _will_ be Klaroline in this story, as well as Kalijah, and Mabekah and others of course. Plus, lots and lots of Originals bonding and fluff and angst and good stuff. **

**I hope you guys like the first chapter. Leave me reviews and let me know! I am really eager to challenge myself by making Rebekah my main character this time around and get inside her head a little. **

**xoxoKady**

* * *

"Hold the elevator!" Rebekah Mikaelson called out as she ran across the lobby of her father's building, Mikaelson Software and Technologies. She was late for a "family meeting" and she had no idea why she was being summoned here. This place was her brothers' territory and she only liked coming here when Mikael wanted to take her out to lunch or give her his credit card for the day. He had said it was urgent, so she'd made sure to come.

She caught the elevator thanks to a nice man who held the door for her and watched as the lights flickered indicating the floors of the tower. She watched people get out and little by little until only she and the man were left.

"You're…_her_, right?" he asked, clearing his throat as they moved passed the thirty-second floor.

"Yeah, I am," she replied, used to the question. "I like to go by Rebekah."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, straightening his tie. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's alright," she said, sighing and glancing at her phone. She knew that people recognized her, as Mikael always liked to brag about his children as proof of his accomplishments, so his comments weren't really a big deal.

"Do you…work here?"

She looked up from her phone, trying to put on her most polite face. After all, he did hold the elevator for her. "I do not. My brothers do. I'm just here visiting."

The man nodded and got out on the thirty-eighth floor, leaving her alone to travel up the last two. The elevator dinged and she walked out as the doors open, brushing past the reception desk. Elijah liked to remind her that a visitor's pass was required of everyone who wasn't an employee, but Rebekah only rolled her eyes at such a suggestion. "I'm your sister, for God's sake," she would tell him, causing him to frown.

The Mikaelson tower was located in downtown San Francisco, an ideal place for such a business. Many times people had tried to persuade her father to move closer to the technology hub of the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, but he liked being right in the middle of the booming city. She looked out the windows as she walked along the floor, smiling as the fog had finally burned its way out of the sky, revealing a gorgeous day.

She waved at a few people as she reached the back of the office floor, stopping in front of her father's secretary's desk. "Hello, Pearl," she greeted, putting her phone into her purse. "I believe I have been summoned."

Pearl smiled. Rebekah always liked her. She was a woman who wasn't afraid of her father, and that always held well in Rebekah's mind. She knew a lot of people were afraid of Mikael, but she felt as if he were wrapped around her finger and it caused her no worries.

"I'll let him know you've arrived. I think he's in the conference room with the boys," Pearl said, picking up her phone to dial the phone in the room. She nodded her head after speaking a few words and then hung up the phone, looking up at Rebekah. "Just as I suspected…they're waiting for you there."

Rebekah smiled and turned around, heading for the conference room. She opened the door and the sound of her brothers' laughter filled the air, causing her to frown. She was always reminded at times like this as to why she did not work for the company and why she had tried to keep as much distance between her and them as possible. Sure, she loved her family, but being the only girl did not come with many perks usually.

"Ah, there she is," her brother Kol beamed, sitting back in his chair. She walked to the head of the table where her father was seated and kissed his cheek, sticking her tongue out at Kol.

"Hello, darling," Mikael greeted, motioning for her to take a seat on his left, next to her other brother Klaus. The eldest, Elijah, was sitting to Mikael's right and Kol was next to him. "Ignore Kol, we all do."

"Hello sister," Klaus greeted, smiling at her. She felt the closest to him and she was glad that he had left the seat next to him open for her.

"What's this about?" she asked, setting her purse on the empty chair to her left. "I'm not sure why I need to be here. Did someone die?"

"No," Mikael said, laughing softly. "Although I might if your mother tries to talk to me about adopting a child one more time."

Rebekah saw Elijah smile. Their mother, Esther, was an eccentric woman who gained and grew out of hobbies every day. Her latest kick, which she called the "Save the Children Movement", was her feeling the overwhelming need to help out a starving kid from a third world country. Instead of just donating a sizeable amount to a charity, she had been discussing actually adopting a child.

Rebekah had laughed at their last family dinner a few weeks ago when her father's face had turned pale at the first mention of it. "A child? You cannot be serious, Esther."

"Oh, but I am. They need me, Mikael…they need _us_."

"But we already have five children," her father had argued. "And they're all grown."

"Precisely. I am bored at the house while you work all day. I have no one to spend my time with or take care of."

Mikael frowned and set his fork down. "I don't want to worry about a crying baby in the middle of the night or diaper changes, Esther. Be reasonable. Pick up another hobby. We can do some work for the Aquarium. How about you save the dolphins and not the children?"

The conversation had slowly dropped after that and Rebekah had assumed her mother had moved on, but with her father's latest mention she knew it wasn't going to be something her mother let go of that easily.

"Well, can we get on with it? I have a nail appointment in an hour," Rebekah said, realizing she had gotten lost in her own memory.

"It's always something with you. A nail appointment, a hair appointment, wine tasting with April…when are you actually going to get a job?" Kol asked, leaning towards her on the table. "Some of us have to actually _work_ for our money around here."

"I do work, I have a job…sort of," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I work! It's not easy being the Social Media Coordinator for the city's Art Museum."

"You're barely there," he retorted.

"Enough," came Elijah's voice, which earned him an appreciative nod from their father.

"Elijah is right, that's enough out of the two of you. But yes, let's get on with it. I brought you all together today because I wanted to be the first to tell you about an important decision I have made regarding the company...I am retiring."

"We've heard that before," mumbled Klaus and Rebekah giggled.

"I'm serious, Niklaus. At the end of the year I will be done. If I won't let your mother adopt a baby, I'll just have to spend time with her myself."

"Retiring, for real this time," Elijah said, glancing at Mikael. "You're sure that by the end of the year you'll be ready?"

"I'm sure," Mikael said with a nod. "It's time, anyway. I've given everything I can to this company."

"And so, this meeting is to tell us all who you've chosen to leave the company to?" Kol guessed, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, then why am I here? What do I care if one of these idiots takes over for you? How will that affect me?" Rebekah added.

Mikael laughed. "Well, I couldn't exactly decide which son to leave this all to. You all work in different departments, and offer different strengths and weaknesses to the company."

"So, are you letting _her_ decide?" Klaus interjected, looking at Rebekah with a grin. If it was going to be up to her, he'd be the clear choice for sure.

"Great," Kol whined. "I'm going to be made into a janitor."

"Not so fast," Mikael said, shaking his head. "I'm going to make it a competition, a contest of sorts."

"A contest?" Elijah echoed. "I don't believe that is the best way to determine the future of this company, father."

Rebekah's face lit up as the realization washed over her. "Oh my god."

"What?" her three brothers asked in unison as all eyes were on her.

"You mean to make me the judge, don't you?" she inquired, looking at Mikael.

"Sort of. The contest is going to _involve_ you. Consider this a way to show me that you're all very bonded as a family."

Kol sighed. "Well, what do we have to do?"

"You have to find Rebekah a suitable mate."

The four of them just stared at their father, waiting for him to say he was joking and then tell them what they really had to do. After a few moments of silence Rebekah shook her head, her face scrunching in confusion. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Mikael laughed. "I'm tired of watching you have failed relationship after failed relationship. Elijah is married, Klaus has been in a serious relationship for years now, and even Kol has just started dating someone."

"Okay, but why does it matter if _I'm_ not with anyone?"

"I just want to see you happy. And who knows you better than your own brothers?"

Rebekah looked at each brother watching the way their faces were taking all of this in. "So, what? They each pick a guy for me to date and if I like one then that brother wins?"

"Basically," Mikael agreed. "I will be the judge of which boy you fall in love with. Or, man. Whatever."

Rebekah was flabbergasted. Never in a million years did she think that her father would resort into having her brothers play matchmaker for her. Sure, she'd had quite a few failed relationships, but that was one of the parts of dating – figuring out what things worked for you and what things didn't. So far she'd had a lot more things not work for her, but she'd realized it was just going to take time for her.

"I suppose…why not," she finally said with a shrug. "I doubt any of them will find anyone suitable for me, and I doubt I'll be able to fall in love so quickly."

"There is no set time when it comes to love," her father replied. "And maybe that is precisely your problem, my dear. Give this a chance, okay?"

"I think I already have someone in mind," Klaus said, sitting back in his chair and pulling out his phone.

"Well, what happens if she doesn't like any of the choices?" Elijah asked. Rebekah could already see him mentally scanning his brain for choices.

"Then…Rebekah gets control of the company."

"What?" they all cried in unison.

"That's absurd!" Kol yelled. "She wouldn't know a damn thing about running this company!"

"Then, I trust my sons will only present her with the _best_ options."

A grin slowly spread across her face. She would love nothing more than to walk into this building and literally own the place. Kol would hate answering to her and that made her want to have it even more.

"What's to stop her from cheating? What if she doesn't pick any of the choices on purpose and takes the company for herself?" Kol continued, shaking his head.

"That's why I am going to be the ultimate judge here. She will have to make a decision by the September Gala. That way I can prime the new CEO before the year is up. And if any cheating is involved, then we'll figure it out and deal with that if it comes to pass. But, like I said, I have faith that one of you will pick the right man," Mikael said, a finality to his tone.

"Who goes first? What's the order?" came Elijah's voice and Rebekah could see that he too was displeased; he just wasn't showing it like Kol. "I find the idea of you picking your predecessor through a matchmaking game very silly, but might as well get on with it."

"We'll go from youngest to oldest, so Kol will be first," their father said, standing up from his chair. He buttoned up his suit jacket and pushed in his chair. "You will present your choice soon, Kol."

"Whatever," the youngest Mikaelson son groaned, flopping his head down on the table. Mikael left the room and Elijah followed after him, leaving Rebekah alone with Klaus and Kol.

"This is going to be very…interesting," Klaus said, rubbing her shoulder softly. "I hope father knows what he's doing."

"Yeah," Rebekah agreed, thinking everything over that had just happened. "I hope he does, too."

* * *

"So, they all get to pick a guy for you? That's…different," April Young, Rebekah's best friend, said as they rode in a cab through the Marina district.

Rebekah sighed. "I don't know how to feel about it, to be honest. Part of me thinks it's a horrible idea while another part of me feels like why not? I've had zero luck in the dating department lately, so what's the worst that can happen?"

"And you really think that you'll be able to fall in love with one of them?"

Bekah shrugged. "Who knows? Of course I'd like to fall in love, and if it happens with one of their choices, then I guess one of them wins something, too."

"Well, good luck I guess. Send me pictures of their faces, and I'll help you decide," April replied with a wink.

Rebekah just rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you want to come here?" she asked her as the cab came to a stop. She groaned and paid the driver, not sharing the brunette's excitement.

They were outside of a dive bar called Donovan's and they'd been there a few times before. But, the few other times Rebekah had been in there she was already pretty far-gone and didn't care to argue. She didn't like dive bars, especially in the Marina. They were full of college kids or older couples, all trying to look and feel like hipsters.

"I like it here," April argued as they showed their IDs to the security bouncers at the bar's entrance. "Plus, have you ever seen the owner? Oh my god, he's so hot!"

Rebekah rolled her eyes again. She highly doubted that the owner of some dive bar was appealing, especially to her. "I never knew you were into older men."

April laughed. "No, but see, that's the thing…he's not even old."

Rebekah wasn't listening to her friend anymore. They were inside the bar now and while there was a good crowd filling up the place, she already knew that she wasn't going to have a good time here tonight. "Come on, let's get a drink and hope this place looks better after some Tequila."

April followed her friend to the bar and they waited for a bartender to come their way. A few frat boys were eyeing them and it made Rebekah smirk. Of course they wished she'd look their way and give them some type of indication that she was interested, but she wasn't and never would be. Rebekah had made the mistake of dating a few college guys and it never turned out well for her. She only hoped that her brothers' choices had already graduated and weren't looking to "party hard" every night. She wanted a more mature relationship, a serious one. She wanted a guy who was established and stable financially...she wanted a man, not a _boy_.

A guy slid in next to Rebekah and April, leaning his forearms against the bar. She glanced at him and noticed he wasn't bad looking. He had a strong jaw, a nice body from what she could see against his basic clothing, and was of the blonde haired, All-American genre. He glanced her way causing her to look away as if she hadn't just been staring at him. She fluffed her hair and acted uninterested as the bartender moved on to the girls next to them.

"It's pretty busy tonight," the blonde stranger said to her and she looked up seeing he had the most crystal clear blue eyes she'd ever seen. It took her a second to realize that she was supposed to be playing the uninterested card and she shrugged her shoulders, pulling her phone from her clutch to make it look like she was too busy to talk to him.

"Yeah, I guess. It is a bar," she said, keying the code to her lock screen into her phone and tapping on her browser app.

"I hadn't noticed," was his reply and she looked up, seeing the smirk across his lips. "Can I get you guys something?"

April touched her arm and peered her head around her friend to see who was talking to them. She smiled eagerly at him and Rebekah had to wonder when her friend had become so desperate for a free drink. "If you're offering then hell yeah we'd like some drinks!"

"April," Rebekah scolded, shaking her head. "Thanks but no thanks," she said to the guy. "I'm sure we're capable of getting our own."

The guy put his hands up and laughed. April nudged her friend and Rebekah glared at her. "I was just trying to help and be a nice guy."

"No, you weren't," Rebekah countered. "I know _exactly_ what you were trying to do. You were trying to establish yourself outside of this group of frat boys. You wanted to show us that you're not a cheap guy and that you think we're pretty and you'd like to show off and buy us some sort of fancy shot. Then, you'd talk our ears off about sports or whatever it is you frat boys are into this week, and we'd be polite because we have to be since you were so kind and bought us a drink. So, how about I save us all the time and be as polite as I can when I deny your advances and tell you to bugger off."

"Rebekah!" April gasped, shaking her head at her friend.

"What? I'm right, we all know I'm right."

"Actually, while your little theory is obvious of some odd insecurities you have going on and was _highly_ entertaining, because I _wasn't_ trying to hit on you when I offered to get you and your friend a drink," the guy replied, looking at her like she was a precious child.

Rebekah did not like the condescending tone to his words and glared at him. "Oh really? Then please, enlighten me as to why you wanted to be _so_ nice and offer us free drinks from his crappy little dive bar."

"Because I _own_ this _crappy_ little dive bar."

* * *

Rebekah was embarrassed, no she was _mortified_. How the hell had she made herself look so stupid and insulting? Sure, she had grown up entitled her whole life, moving from London to the States when she was very young and experiencing a grand life on both spectrums, but she wasn't rude and she _wasn't_ a snob.

But now, that's all that Matt Donovan probably thought she was – some self-important, brat, wench of a snob. She'd seen the satisfaction in his face when he'd gotten the upper hand on her, watching as her eyes grew large and listened as April apologized profusely on behalf of both of them. Her friend had grabbed her by the hand and moved her to the other side of the bar, and Rebekah had glanced back to see Matt hop up over the bar and join the bartenders, helping to tend to the growing crowd.

Now, it was almost last call and she and April were seated at one of booths lining the walls. Rebekah hadn't had much to drink over the course of the night, and she'd made sure to have April go and order them all. She'd been watching Matt all night, their eyes meeting a few times before she'd look away like some caught stalker.

She reached her hand inside of her glass and brought a piece of ice into her mouth, sucking on it slowly as she watched Matt clearing some of the tables around them. April excused herself to go to the bathroom before the place started to close down, and Matt approached the booth, causing Bekah to sit up straighter.

"Your majesty," he said, bowing before her as he grabbed April's empty glass.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and crunched on her ice. "That's not necessary, and it's actually quite annoying. I made a mistake, no sense in making fun of me for it."

"But, making fun of you gets you all angry, and you're kind of cute when you're angry," he replied, leaning his forearms on the table. She watched as his arms flexed against his t-shirt and she tried not to let her mind get lost in the thought of what a nice body he had, or how cute he was when he smiled at her. No, she didn't like this Matt Donovan – he was rude and she already had enough rude men in her life.

"You know, my mother always told me that men who gloat are ugly on the inside, and are probably trying to overcompensate for a lack of…_something_."

Matt laughed softly. "Trust me, I don't have a lack of _anything_. And I'm only gloating because I can. You'll be leaving in a few minutes and once you do, then I won't have any reason to. Gotta get it in while I can."

Rebekah frowned. "Don't be an ass. I'm still a paying customer you know."

"Okay?" he said. "Oh, you think this is one of those places where _'the customer is always right'_? That's cute. Hate to break it to you Princess, but I don't cater to people here. You must have me confused with those fancy downtown bars."

"Don't call me _that_," she said, her jaw tight. "I'm not a Princess, I'm not a snob."

"Oh, I apologize," he replied, and Rebekah wished she could smack the smirk off of his face. "I just assumed you got lost down here and came to the first bar you saw."

"Everything okay?" came April's voice before Rebekah could reply.

"Absolutely," Matt said, standing up straight again as April slid into the booth. "I was just offering to call you guys a cab."

"That would be great," the brunette replied. "It's late, anyway. But hey, we love this place. I always try and come down here but I get so caught up with work."

Matt smiled at her. "Thanks, I appreciate that. It may not be much, but I kinda like it." He looked at Rebekah as he walked backwards and then turned around, heading behind the bar. She saw him grab a phone and glance their way, causing her to cross her arms over her chest. She hated that he was being a gentleman and calling them a cab, especially after he'd been a jerk to her when April hadn't been there.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" April beamed as she watched the bar start to clear out as the lights came on. "I told you he wasn't old."

"He's alright," Rebekah said, taking her compact out to apply some lip-gloss. She didn't want to show April that she agreed that Matt Donovan was gorgeous. She wanted to keep the image of him being some asshole, hipster, bar owner in her head so that she never thought twice about him after they left tonight.

April got up from the booth, suggesting they head towards the door to wait for their cab. Rebekah fluffed her hair and was proud of herself for not even looking in the direction of the bar as she made her way towards the exit.

"Bye, Princess! Thanks for dropping by," Matt shouted to her from across the room and she turned around, giving him the dirtiest look she could muster.

"Rebekah!" April shouted back and Bekah's eyes went wide as she looked at her friend and hit her in the arm.

"What?" Matt shouted back.

"Her name…it's Rebekah!"

"April," Rebekah hissed and grabbed her friend, pulling her out of the bar.

"Oh, thanks! Bye, _Rebekah_," she heard Matt call right before they were outside of the bar and jumping into the cab that had just pulled up, not even caring if it was the one he had called for them or not.

"I think he likes you," April said as they headed towards Rebekah's place, closer to the city.

"I think he should rot in hell," Bekah replied, looking out the window and trying to clear her mind of the way Matt Donovan looked when he smiled.

* * *

**AHHHHH so what do you think? Love it, hate it? I hope you guys enjoy this different direction I am taking with my writing! **

**Leave me your reviews and I thank you for reading it! Big hugs and kisses to my beta Katie (hybridlovelies) for being as enthusiastic for this fic as I am! **

**You can also follow me on my tumblahhhhh at klausykins. xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**AHHH! A huge thank you to everyone who has read the first chapter of this story or followed it or favorited it or shared it! I am so excited to be writing it and I am just glad that it's gotten a warm reception so far! Love you all so much! :) xoxoK**

* * *

"What do you mean _they_ get to pick guys for you to date?" Caroline Forbes practically screeched as she looked at Rebekah. They were out at one of the nicer shopping centers located in the city and the younger blonde marveled at Caroline's ability to search through racks of clothes and cause an angry rant at the same time.

"It's exactly what it sounds like. My father is going to let each of my brothers, aside from Finn obviously, pick a guy for me to date," Rebekah explained, looking down at her nails, acting as if it was no big deal.

Caroline huffed. "I just think that's so…_odd_. But, I guess it sounds right knowing your father."

Rebekah laughed. "Well, we shall see if any of them pick a good one. Kol is going first but I can't imagine who he's going to pick for me. I don't think he has any friends and it's a wonder that Pearl's daughter is dating him."

Caroline nodded in agreement. She tried not to let herself get too involved with the youngest Mikaelson brother, especially considered how he'd tried to dissuade her away from Klaus within five minutes after their first meeting.

"Sorry I'm late," came a voice and the blondes looked over to see a brunette walking towards them. "I would lie and say something about traffic but the truth is Elijah and I had a quickie this morning and then I fell back asleep."

Rebekah grimaced and Caroline laughed. "Please, _please_…how many times do I have to ask you to stop mentioning your sex life with my brother?"

Katherine Mikaelson, nee Pierce, rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the couches next to Rebekah, shaking her head as Caroline held a blouse up to her body. "And how many times do I have to tell you that I won't? I don't care if it makes you squeamish, your brother is amazing in bed and I will shout it from the rooftops."

Rebekah faked gagging and sat back on her couch, pulling her phone out. "You guys are gross."

"It's not my fault you're not getting any," Katherine replied, getting up to take the next blouse from Caroline's hand before placing it back on the racks. "But, maybe you'll be getting laid soon, thank god."

"You know?" Caroline asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Klaus hasn't said a word about it to me."

"Well, we all know I landed the best Mikaelson, no offense."

"What did Elijah say? Want to clue me in on his choice?" Rebekah interjected, a hopeful smile on her face.

"No."

Rebekah frowned and scrolled through her Twitter feed again. "I don't think any of my brothers will really provide a suitable choice. But, if any of them do have a shot, my money is on Niklaus."

Caroline grinned at that and shook her head as Katherine held a top up against her chest. She pushed the shirt away and Katherine stuck her tongue out at her. "He does know you best, I mean aren't the two of you closest?"

"Yes, he is the brother I am the closest to," Bekah agreed with a nod. "But, I just don't think even _he_ will know what I want in a guy."

"Well, what do you want?" Katherine asked, moving towards the dress racks.

"Wouldn't it be cheating if I told you guys? Won't you go off and tell Klaus and Elijah?"

Caroline and Katherine looked at each other and then at Rebekah before shrugging. "If we're being honest, none of us wants Kol to take control of the company. Could you _imagine_?" Katherine cringed at her own words. "So, if you tell both Caroline and myself, then it could help Niklaus or Elijah…which seems fair enough."

Rebekah thought over her sister-in-law's words for a few minutes and then sighed. "I suppose you're right. Besides, I could tell Kol these exact words and I bet he wouldn't even listen." She was quiet for a few moments again, wanting to get the words right. "I want a man who is a _man_, and not a boy. I want him to be successful…being wealthy would be nice too, only because I wouldn't want my family name or wealth to be a factor that attracts him to me. I want a good-looking man, obviously, and one who is going to love me for me. I want him to be dominating and aggressive, but not abusive or controlling. I just want to feel like I'm taken care of."

Caroline smiled and nodded in encouragement. "That sounds nice, Rebekah."

"Oh please," Katherine retorted with a scoff. "That is such a plain, boring answer. You need someone who is going to challenge you and get your head out of the clouds. You need someone who isn't going to let you just be a whiney little princess, someone who is going to change you, but for the better."

At the mention of the word princess, Rebekah's mind immediately went to Matt Donovan and their meeting the other night. She shook her head, ridding his face from her mind. She didn't need to be thinking about him. He was not right for her, not at all.

"Maybe. I guess we'll see. Who knows whom my brothers will choose and maybe I'll find at least a little bit of what I want."

"And hey, if it doesn't work out, you can at least try and get some awesome sex out of it," Katherine suggested with a shrug.

Caroline rolled her eyes but laughed. "Oh yes, Rebekah, please just listen to your guardian angel over here. Just go off and sleep with three different guys nonstop."

"Always such a drama queen, Forbes. No wonder you and Klaus are always fighting during holidays and making up in closets and bathrooms."

Rebekah's jaw dropped a little at Katherine's words, her own shock mirroring the one on Caroline's. It _was_ true…maybe a little blunt of Kat to say, but definitely true. Klaus and Caroline seemed to love to break up to make up.

"I'm going to go across the store and look at the jeans," Caroline said, her jaw tight as she glared at Katherine. She took a deep breath and then walked away, and Rebekah watched as Katherine continued to look through the racks, unaffected by Caroline's anger.

"That was a little…harsh, Katherine."

"It's true, though. Besides, she and Klaus are going to get married and then they won't have to worry about all these little fights and break ups."

"You think they'll get married?" Rebekah asked, looking at Caroline as she browsed through the jeans across the store.

"If Klaus doesn't propose to Caroline soon…I'll buy you an entire spa day."

Rebekah laughed and nodded in acceptance. She'd take a free spa day any day. But, as she watched Caroline she felt a weight on her shoulders. She was jealous, not of the other blonde but at the fact that she was in love and Rebekah wanted so badly to just be in love.

"And then just think, if you happen to fall in love and want to marry one of the idiots, bossy pants Forbes can plan your wedding."

"Wedding?" came Caroline's voice and in an instant she was back across the store standing next to Katherine. "Whose wedding?"

"No one's," Rebekah said. "But anyway, you'd want me to use Caroline after she did yours and Elijah's?"

Katherine shrugged. "She was more of a bridezilla than me, and it was _my_ wedding, but it turned out spectacular."

Caroline frowned but Rebekah could see the sparkle in Caroline's eyes that she always got when people mentioned weddings. She'd been a wedding planner for as long as Rebekah had known her and it was nice sometimes to hear about all of the extravagant things she got to do for other people.

"And then you can be my lawyer when I want to get a divorce?" she asked Kat.

"Well, I'm a public defender but I could make a special exception for you."

"Can I help you ladies find anything?" one of the sales associates asked, obviously seeing that they'd all been standing around for a while. "I'd be happy to start some rooms for you."

"Yes, we'd love that…let's get this dress for blondie here," Katherine ordered, nodding towards Caroline.

Rebekah sat back on the couch again and sighed, not really in the mood to shop anymore.

* * *

"This place is such a dump."

"No it's not," Matt countered to his best friend, Tyler Lockwood. The darker haired man was sitting on a stool while Matt polished glasses. He was surprised to see his pro-baseball player friend in his place, as he hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks. But, the Giants had a few days off he'd said, and he'd come to see his best friend. Matt scoffed because he knew that that was Tyler's way of coming for free beer and to hit on girl's who'd recognize him.

"I'm only messing with you. You've got quite a crowd tonight."

"Yeah," Matt agreed, taking in the body count. Every table and booth was occupied as well as a cloud of people surrounding the bar. He liked the steady flow; it was good for business and it made him feel like buying this place a few years ago had actually been a _good_ idea.

"Are you looking for someone?" Tyler probed, sipping from his beer bottle. He'd noticed his friend's eyes gravitating towards the doors every couple of minutes.

"What? No," Matt answered, shaking his head. He walked to the other side of the bar and helped a few customers before returning to his friend. "We should go surfing tomorrow, down by the coast. I heard there's been some great waves lately."

"Yeah, I'll let you know. It all depends on if I leave with someone tonight and how late I stay up." Tyler waggled his eyebrows and Matt resisted the urge to toss his towel at him. His friend could be such a…well, he didn't mind having a lot of women come and go in his bed.

"I'm just trying to spend some real time with you. As much as I love you mooching off the beer I know you can definitely afford, it'd be nice to just go do something."

Tyler nodded his head in understanding. "I know what you mean. I love playing ball and the season has barely started, but this break is definitely nice." He smiled at a few girls looking his way and got up, dipping his head to Matt. "I'm off to try and get laid, which is something you should try and do yourself."

This time Matt threw the towel at Tyler. He shook his head and when he looked up he was staring into the bright green eyes of April Young.

"Hi Matt!" she greeted, wiggling her fingers at him.

He smiled and waved back, moving closer to the bar. "Hey, April, right? What can I get you?"

"I'll have a beer while I wait."

"Any beer?"

"Yeah," she replied, looking down at her phone.

Matt grabbed the first beer he saw and removed the cap for her, sliding it across the bar towards her hand. "On the house."

"Oh, thanks!" she piped, grinning wide. "That's really sweet." She glanced down at her phone again.

"So, who are you waiting for?"

"Me? Oh, just a friend."

Matt tried not to seem too eager with his response. "A friend?"

April arched an eyebrow and then started to back away from the bar. "Yeah, _a friend_," she said before disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

"Klaus!" Caroline shouted before the front door was even closed behind her. She kicked it closed, her hands full of shopping bags, and huffed. She dropped the bags and her purse in the foyer of the high-rise apartment she shared with her boyfriend before walking into the living room. She didn't find him there and moved to the kitchen, finding him with a glass of wine in his hand, his phone in the other as it was pressed against his ear. She stopped and grabbed the wine bottle, grabbing a glass for herself.

"Yes, yes, I know. It is a little unconventional but I promise you'll be impressed." He sipped from his glass and looked up at Caroline, offering her a smile. She glared at him but leaned against the counter, letting him finish his conversation. "I'll talk to you more about it when I see you tomorrow. Yes. Yes. Cheers, mate." He pressed the end button on his phone and set it on the counter. "Hello, sweetheart. You look angry and adorable."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm not angry, I'm irritated. Who were you talking to?"

"Someone. Why?"

"How could you not tell me about this whole deal you have with your brothers and father over Rebekah?"

Klaus sighed and walked past her into the living room. "Caroline, I've had a long day today and don't really want to get into a fight over something that we don't need to be fighting about." He sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the glass coffee table.

Caroline followed after him and kicked his legs, causing his feet to fall. "How many times have I told you not to put your feet on my coffee table? And we are going to talk about this. Do you know how embarrassing it was when Rebekah tried to ask me for advice and I had no clue as to what she was talking about?"

Klaus sipped from his glass and lifted his shoulders. "You are a little sensitive so I'm guessing you didn't like that very much."

Caroline stomped her foot. "You guessed right, you ass. And then to make matters worse, Katherine pranced around like she knew _everything_. Because Elijah _told_ her. You know, they had a conversation, _communicated_."

Klaus leaned forward and set his glass on the coffee table. "Sit down, please." He waited for her to oblige his request before he continued. "I didn't tell you because it honestly slipped my mind until this afternoon when I reached out to who I am considering for my choice. I was going to tell you tonight, honest."

Caroline narrowed her gaze but he saw her shoulders relax a little. "It still sucked to be kept out of the loop. We've already had problems with you not telling me things and communicating to me. I thought we were past them, you even promised me so."

"I know," he agreed. "And I really am sorry." He leaned towards her and pressed his lips to hers, cupping her cheek when he felt her kiss him back. He pulled away after a few moments and grinned, reaching for his glass again.

"I forgive you," she declared, sitting back on the couch. She watched him fumble around on his phone for a moment before she spoke again. "So, who _are_ you considering for a choice?"

He pressed a few buttons and brought up his recently called list, showing it to her. "The top one," he said, and watched as she registered who it was.

"Really? I mean, I guess he makes some sort of sense. I guess I just wouldn't have pegged him as suitable for her in this way."

"I'm fairly confident that they will be a great match."

She thought about Rebekah's description of what she was looking for when they were shopping earlier and realized Klaus may be right. "You'd better be confident or you'll lose the chance to be in charge of the company…in charge of your _brothers_."

Klaus scoffed and waved off her reservations. "The only real threat is Elijah, but I doubt he'll have a better choice than me."

"I'm going to laugh if Kol beats you all, because everyone is writing him off as if he doesn't stand a chance. But watch him go and beat you all."

Klaus looked at her for a long time before he swallowed and then spoke. "Caroline, you're beautiful and I love you, but if you ever say something like that again, I'll make you sleep on the couch."

Caroline laughed out loud at that and shook her head at him. "I'd like to see you _try_," she challenged before getting up and returning to the kitchen to refill her wine glass.

* * *

Rebekah had argued with herself for an hour over whether or not to go and meet April at Donovan's. She'd sworn to never go there again because she didn't want to deal with Matt Donovan and his arrogance and teasing. So, when her best friend had texted her and invited her out, she'd promptly replied with a "hell no" and left it at that.

But April was playing dirty, texting her things and even a picture of Matt as he was half bent over grabbing a beer from behind the bar. She'd stared at it for longer than she wanted to admit, but had finally agreed to go and meet her there.

She'd dressed quickly, not trying too hard because trying too hard meant that she cared and she did not care about Matt Donovan and his stupid face and stupid dive bar. She'd also decided to drive herself, making it a certainty that she wouldn't be drinking tonight.

Rebekah regretted taking her Mercedes out for a nightly spin in the Marina when she circled around and around trying to find parking. She swore under her breath and mumbled things here and there, finally pumping her fist in the air when she found a spot a few blocks away. She walked with her phone in her hand, texting April that she was almost there and would only be staying an hour or less.

When she finally reached the bar and was let inside the place was packed. It took her a few moments to find April who was nudged in a corner obviously getting hit on by some dark haired idiot. She walked over to them and tapped the man on his shoulder, shaking her head at him. "Hi there, she's not interested. Goodbye."

"Rebekah!" April hissed, frowning. "I'm sorry, ignore her. She just needs a drink."

The dark haired man smiled at her, although his glances were cautious. "That's cool. We'll get her one. My buddy owns the place." He waved his hand towards the bar and held up three fingers before putting them down and bringing his attention back to April.

"Rebekah, this is Tyler Lockwood, the shortstop for the Giants."

Rebekah smiled but it wasn't genuine. "I don't care for baseball but I'm charmed, I'm sure." It was just then that she registered what Tyler had said. _My buddy owns the place_. She turned to walk away when she practically crashed into Matt Donovan, beer spilling onto both of their shirts. "Shit!" she screeched, trying to wipe the beer away but only succeeding in spreading it over more of her shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching over her head to hand Tyler and April the bottles. He froze when he felt Rebekah's hands on his chest, trying to wipe away the beer with a napkin she'd produced from her clutch. "Um, do you always carry tissue around?"

"I'm _always_ prepared," was her muffled reply as her eyes narrowed and she focused on the task at hand. Which, considering how solid and lean Matt felt underneath the cotton of his shirt, was a very _hard_ task indeed. She pulled her hands away a few minutes later and stood up straighter, nodding her approval. "I did what I could but your cotton t-shirt is cheap and I'm not sure it won't stain." She moved her hair over her shoulders and looked at her own silk blouse. "And this will most definitely need to be dry cleaned."

Matt reached for her hand but realized it was a mistake when she pulled away from him so quickly. "Relax, Princess. I was only going to take you to my office in the back. I have some towels back there…I was going to give you some soda water and see if that helped."

Rebekah frowned at the pet name but handed April her clutch, following Matt through the crowd. She tried not to care too much about the tingling sensation she still felt in her fingers after having practically molested his chest, nor did she try to care too much about the instant electric feeling that had pulsed through her body when his hand had touched hers so briefly. Her shirt was expensive and she was only humoring his little soda water theory in the hopes that it actually worked and it saved her from throwing it away.

Matt led her past the bathrooms and to a door at the end of the hallway on the right side. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door, letting her pass him to go inside first. He closed the door behind them to stifle the music and walked over to a closet, pulling a towel from a box. "I'll be right back," he said, opening the door again and leaving her in there alone.

Rebekah removed her jacket and placed it on the wood desk, leaning over to look at the few-framed pictures lining the length of it. She saw a picture of him and a dark haired man, Tyler, in wetsuits at a beach, and another of him and a redhead. She heard the door open again and she stood up, turning around to face Matt. She sat on the desk and smiled at him, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Here," he said, moving closer to hand her the soda water. "I would offer to help but I highly doubt you want me to touch you…there."

Rebekah smirked and grabbed the glass from him, dipping the tip of the towel into it. "You assumed correctly." She dabbed the towel against her shirt, not knowing if it was working or not. "I'm sorry, by the way."

"For running into me?"

"No, that was _your_ fault," she corrected. "I'm sorry for molesting you out there. I was trying to be helpful but I'm not sure if it came off that way."

Matt shrugged and placed his hands in the front pockets of his dark jeans. "I didn't mind it." He was quiet as he watched her try and fix her shirt. "It's um, good to see you."

Rebekah lifted her head and looked at him. "It is? Why?"

"I don't know. It just is. I wasn't sure if my teasing the other night was too much and I'd scared you away."

Rebekah looked at him as if he'd just said the stupidest thing in the world. "Me…scared of you? Ha, yeah okay."

Matt laughed. "Well, I don't know you that well, Princess."

"Don't call me that," she barked, standing up and sighing. "Well, I think this is ruined but I guess we'll see in the morning. I smell like a frat bimbo but thanks, though, for trying." She grabbed her jacket and moved to walk past him before she felt him grab her hand. He pulled her up against him and before she knew it, he was moving towards her. She panicked and pushed against his chest, shoving him away from her. "Oh my god, what are you doing?"

Matt straightened up and grinned. He held his fingers up and she squinted her vision to see a tiny piece of lint between his index finger and thumb. "I was only getting this out of your hair."

Rebekah's jaw dropped and she just stood there dumbfounded. "You…I thought you were trying to kiss me."

"I wasn't."

"I didn't give you permission to kiss me."

"I know, and that's why I _didn't_."

"I…" she started to say but then nothing came out. She pressed her fingers to her lips and then glared at him. "I...I have to go."

Matt held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I just…I wanted to help, because God forbid I let you walk out of here not looking your best and you get mad at me for _that_, too."

Rebekah glowered and squared her jaw. "Well, I'm fine and you need to control your urges, Donovan." She poked him hard in the chest and turned around, heading for the door.

"You don't have to go, I'm sorry I tried to help. Let me buy you a beer or something."

Rebekah stopped, her hand on the doorknob, but she didn't turn around. "I have to go and save April from becoming another notch on your friend's belt." She opened the door and walked as quickly as she could out of the office, her head spinning with the smell of the beer on her shirt, the muggy air in the bar, and the embarrassment from once again letting Matt Donovan get under her skin.

* * *

**Oops, strike two for our little Rebekah! Matt sure does have her all flustered ;) Leave me a review and let me know what you guys thought of the chapter! I would love to know :) **

**Thank you to Katie, my beta extraordinaire, for helping me work out a few kinks. And shout out to my teddy, Flora, for being so enthusiastic over Caroline being a wedding planner, haha! **

**You can follow me on Tumblr at Klausykins. **

**Hugs, Kady**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Here is chapter three. I really had a great time writing it and I hope you all enjoy reading it! There may be a few familiar faces in this chapter ;)**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

"Come on, Rebekah, harder! Harder! That's it, faster…keep going. Left, left, harder, one more…faster, that's it! Boom!"

Rebekah collapsed onto the floor, her eyes closed and her chest heaving with her labored breaths. She opened her eyes and smiled at the man standing above her. "That was a little more intense than last time."

"I know, you did good, girl," Alaric Saltzman, Rebekah's personal trainer, said as he started to put away the boxing equipment. He knelt down next to her and unstrapped the boxing gloves from her hands, helping her into a sitting position. "I think my hands are going to be sore, and that'll be a first."

Rebekah shrugged her shoulders and grabbed her water bottle, wiping her face with a towel. "I can't say I'm sorry, it's what I pay you for," she replied, a playful tone to her response. She let him help her up and she gave him a quick hug. "I guess I was just really focused today."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I've never seen you like this. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome, but I wonder where your sudden energy burst and determination came from?"

Rebekah waved her hand in the air as if it were no surprise that she could kick some serious butt against her trainer. Truth was, it had been more than a week since she had been to Donovan's, or seen its sarcastic little owner. She'd been working out every day since, a first for her, but she needed some way to work off her frustration and secondhand embarrassment from letting him get under her skin…_twice_.

"I just want to get into better shape," she told him as an answer to his inquiry. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Alaric nodded and ruffled her hair, earning him a scowl. She removed her hair from her ponytail and walked towards the women's locker rooms. She liked working out in Ric's private gym. It was nice to not have to compete with hordes of people for equipment, and her entire family had been using his facility and fitness expertise for years now.

She waved at the girl at the reception desk and wasn't paying attention to where she was going, causing her to bump into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry – oh, _you_," she huffed, her eyes focusing on Tyler Lockwood. "What are you doing here?"

Tyler smirked at her, shaking his plastic blender bottle, no doubt full of some muscle head protein mix. "Well hello to you, too…Rebekah, right? April's friend?"

Rebekah squared her hips and rolled her eyes. "Yes, April's friend. And could you please stop calling her, she's so not interested in you."

Tyler laughed softly. "That's not exactly what she was saying last night."

Rebekah's jaw dropped a little. "Ew, that's disgusting. I really hope she didn't sleep with the likes of you."

"The likes of me? And what exactly is wrong with me?"

"You're a professional baseball player, don't act like you're actually interested in April for her personality and charms. She's an easy target for you."

"Ouch," Tyler said, shaking his head. "I don't know if I should be more offended for myself or April."

Rebekah tapped her foot. "Just, leave her alone. She doesn't handle being used very well, and we both know she doesn't deserve that."

"Why don't you give me a little more credit? Maybe I actually like her. Maybe I'm tired of sleeping around with groupies and am actually looking for a meaningful relationship."

Rebekah highly doubted that. "If you hurt her, I'll break your precious throwing arm," she warned, moving past him to reach the locker room.

"Hey," he called to her, stopping her right outside of the entrance. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "He likes you, you know?"

"Who does?" she asked, pretending like she had no clue who he was talking about. But she knew, of course she knew. Matt Donovan.

"Matt, I think he likes you."

"Well, you think he does or you _know_ he does?"

"He does," Tyler amended, taking a few steps closer to her. "I mean, he's not crushing on you hard…_yet_."

Rebekah pursed her lips. "Well, how lovely for him."

"Don't act like you don't like him back. I could see it all over your face the other night when you were feeling him up."

Rebekah cringed. "I was trying to help him clean up the beer all over his shirt. You know what? I don't need to explain myself to you, Lockwood." She turned around again, shaking her head.

"You confuse him, and he doesn't know how to feel about it."

Rebekah didn't turn around this time but he'd piqued her interests a little. "Confuse him?"

"Yeah," Tyler continued. "You're not usually his type. You're a little too…prissy. But, he feels something for you and just doesn't know how to deal with it."

"Well, he's a big boy, I'm sure he'll figure it out."

Tyler laughed softly. "You're probably right. But, just so we're clear on both fronts…if you hurt him, I'll break your credit card swiping hand."

Rebekah turned around, a scowl on her face. "Are you threatening me? I don't even like your friend and I have no intention of ever stepping inside of his seedy, little, dive bar ever again."

"I would never hit a woman," Tyler clarified, moving so that he was right in front of her, only inches away. "I just want you to understand that I'm protective of my friend, too."

"There will be no need for your little worries. Matt Donovan and I will never, _ever_ be an item."

"If you say so. I'll see you around, Bekah." He grinned at her and turned his back, walking towards the weight floor.

Rebekah flipped him off as he walked away and finally made her way to the women's locker room, sending up a silent prayer for a weight to fall on Tyler Lockwood's foot.

* * *

"Elijah? Elijah? Oh, hello, Kol," Katherine said as she walked into the conference room of Mikaelson Software and Technologies. She looked at her phone and then looked up when she noticed he didn't acknowledge her. "Um, I said hello, Kol."

"Oh, hello, Katherine," he replied, sitting back in the chair he was occupying. "You're looking as beautiful as ever. Shame that you picked the wrong brother."

"Ugh, are you still trying to hit on me? How many times do I have to say 'no' to you before you actually understand what it means?"

Kol smirked. "As if I would touch you now. I'm in a relationship."

"Yes, with Pearl's daughter, Anna. So I've heard," Katherine mused, setting her purse on the long table. "Have you seen my husband?"

"He's probably off sucking up to father in his office. He thinks he's going to win this little contest."

Katherine sneered. "That's because _he is_. You and Klaus won't even stand a chance."

"Says the woman who is sleeping with him."

"No, says the woman who knows Elijah better than you do and has faith in him. He may not be as close to Rebekah as you and Klaus but he does love her and I'm sure he just wants her to be happy."

Before Kol could reply Elijah walked into the conference room. He smiled when he saw his wife and walked over to her, pecking her lips softly. "I did not expect to see you here."

"I wanted to surprise you. I thought I could take you out to lunch," she said, grinning at him. Her fingers smoothed over his tie and she winked at him.

"You mean you wanted to go and have sex in his office for the millionth time," Kol interjected, shaking his head.

Katherine resisted the urge to take the pen out of Elijah's hand and throw it at her brother-in-law. "You're such an idiot."

"Why, thank you, Kitty Kat."

"Enough," Elijah gruffed, rolling his eyes. "Kol, would it actually kill you to get along with people?"

Kol was quiet for a few seconds. "It might."

Elijah and Katherine both looked at each other and then shook their heads. "Lunch sounds great," the older Mikaelson said to his wife, kissing her once more.

"You kids have fun now. I have a meeting later with our sister's future soulmate."

"You're only wasting your time," Katherine mumbled, frowning when Elijah gave her a stern look. "What? It's true. Who could Kol possibly have in mind that could actually be a real contender in this thing?"

"I'm not sure, as we've all been very quiet about our choices. But, I like to be fair in my dealings and I always say let the best man win."

"That would be me," Kol added, getting up from his chair. He gathered his things and walked past the couple, stopping at the door. "Oh, be sure to use a condom, lovers."

This time Kat took the pen from Elijah's hand and threw it at Kol, hitting him square in the back. "Asshole," she murmured and Elijah laughed. "Do you think he's going to pick someone good?"

Elijah shrugged and set his folders onto the table. He pulled out his phone to check his email. "I'm not sure. What I do know is that this family has a habit of underestimating my dear youngest brother, and I wouldn't be surprised if he actually delivers a suitable choice." He looked up at her and saw that she was closing the door, the sound of the lock clicking echoing throughout the room. "I thought we were going to lunch?"

Kat mouth twisted into a devilish grin as she approached him slowly. "Oh, we will, but I have other plans for us, too."

Elijah set his phone down and swallowed as he saw the look in her eyes. "Katherine…"

"Shh," she whispered, placing her fingers to his lips. "Have I ever told you how much I love that this room doesn't have any windows that allow people to look inside?" She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him into a chair, moving to straddle his waist.

"I have a feeling I'm about to find out."

Katherine laughed softly and pressed her lips against his, silencing him with a kiss.

* * *

The _Find Rebekah A Suitable Mate Contest_ was officially underway. Kol's choice was up first, and knowing his friends and acquaintances, Rebekah shuddered to think of who would be meeting her tonight. There were a lot of places that Rebekah could have chosen to meet for drinks, but she only had one in mind – Donovan's. Tyler Lockwood's words to her the other day at the gym had really gotten to her. How dare he accuse her of liking Matt and of not being able to stay away. She was not interested in Matt and this was a sure way to show him, Tyler, herself, and everyone else that she wasn't.

Jeremy Gilbert was precisely ten minutes late. It was a slow night at Donovan's and Rebekah had been able to procure a booth easily. She glanced down at her phone and sighed, trying not to get too irritated before the boy even showed up. She was a little surprised when her brother had told her that Jeremy was a college student studying at the Academy of Arts and Sciences. A student seemed like the opposite of what she was looking for, but she was willing to meet him and give him a chance, as this whole arrangement with her father required. But, Rebekah hated late people and Jeremy was not making a good first impression.

She downed the rest of her beer and scrolled through her phone, half tempted to text Kol and complain. She didn't like to be kept waiting. What was the point in coming to Donovan's to show off that she was on a date if the date never showed up?

"Would you like another beer?" came a voice and Rebekah turned to see a smiling Matt standing next to where she sat. He looked pretty good in a flannel button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His jeans were just the right fit and his hair looked a little darker in color, almost as if it was wet. He hadn't been here when she'd first arrived but had shown up after she'd already ordered and sat down.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and tried to act as if she wasn't affected by his appearance. Because she wasn't. Not at all.

"Yes, that would be nice, thank you," she replied, trying to look busy on her phone. She heard him laugh and then he walked away, reaching over the bar to grab her another bottle. "Thank you," she said as he returned, removing the top for her.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked, tapping his hands on top of the table.

"Yes."

"April?"

"No."

"Ahh, a date then."

"Yes," she responded, reading an email from a few days ago that she'd already read. "Why are you so curious?"

"No reason."

"Uh huh."

He waited a minute before he spoke, causing her to look away from her phone and at him. "I just find it weird that you of all people would come _here_ for a date."

Rebekah shrugged, not taking his bait. "He lives close to here and it just seemed like a good fit."

"Uh huh."

"I can leave if you want, you know take my money else where?" she tested, wondering why he cared that she was there tonight.

"No, no, by all means, stay."

Rebekah nodded her head and went back to looking at her phone until she noticed he hadn't left her side. "Yes?"

"He's late."

She pursed her lips. "How do you know that he's late?"

"Because you've been here for almost an hour and he hasn't shown up."

"Are you spying on me?" she almost yelled, checking herself before her voice actually rose. She gripped her beer bottle tighter, glaring at him.

"No, but I saw you when you first came in."

"I didn't see you."

"Yeah, I noticed," he said with a laugh. "I was just leaving to take a shower when you walked in. I live upstairs." He pointed his finger upwards and she followed it, looking up at the ceiling. "There's a door across from my office that leads upstairs to my apartment."

Rebekah nodded and sipped from her beer. "How very, convenient for you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to waiting for my date."

Matt smiled and walked back to the bar, leaving her alone. She glanced at her phone and sighed, hating that Matt noticed that Jeremy Gilbert was late in meeting her.

Almost another hour later, Rebekah realized that she was being stood up. She would have gotten up and left sooner but there was something about her pride and her stubborn nature that made her stay. She didn't want Matt to make fun of her, and she felt like every stare from him was a judgment. She sighed and pulled up a text for her brother, trying not to smash against the touch screen as her fingers typed out a message.

**Jeremy Gilbert stood me up. I'd say this doesn't bode well for your chances.**

A few minutes later there was a response from Kol.

**I've just called him. He got caught up with a school project. I'll arrange another meeting. I apologize.**

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

**There will only be one more chance, Kol.**

**Relax, darling. It won't happen again.**

Rebekah sighed again and set her phone down, looking around the bar. It was a little busier but not by much. It was a weeknight and while it was late, it wasn't yet midnight and college kids were content to just be out drinking.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Matt approaching her table and she geared herself up for some smartass comments.

"I take it he's running _a little _late?" he asked, sliding into the booth seat across from her.

Rebekah held her chin up, trying to show his words did not affect her. "We've decided to reschedule. It's not really a big deal."

Matt nodded and drummed his fingers against the table again. "You okay?"

She glared at him. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She continued to glare at him and he held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, are you here for a reason?"

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, you did, so you can go now."

Matt continued to sit there. "How did you get here?"

Rebekah chugged the rest of her beer and checked the time on her phone. "A cab why?"

"Do you need a ride home?"

She looked up at him, genuine confusion on her face. "You're…offering me a ride home?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, isn't that what I just asked?"

She stared at him for a moment and realized that he wasn't messing with her. He really was offering to take her home. "I can just call another cab, but thank you."

Matt shook his head and stood up, tossing his towel to one of the passing bartenders. "That's dumb. I just offered to give you a ride home so why would you call a cab?"

"Because," was her puzzled response as she watched him pull a set of keys from his pocket. "Don't you have to stay and close the place down?"

"No," he answered, waiting for her to gather her phone and purse. "I have people here to do that for me. Besides, I bet you don't live too far. I'm sure I'll be back in time to see things through."

Rebekah got up from the booth and placed her purse on her shoulder, still perplexed by his offer. "Um, okay, well thank you. And yes, I don't live too far." She followed him to the back of the bar and they walked out of a back door, where she saw a few dumpsters and a truck parked next to them. The truck looked old, _very old_, and she was praying that they would keep walking to another, nicer car.

Matt walked to the passenger side of the rusty, old truck and opened it for her, motioning for her to slide in. "Your chariot awaits."

Rebekah frowned but shook her head once she realized she was and followed him to the passenger's side, sliding into the seat. He closed the door behind her and walked around the front until he hopped into the driver's seat next to her.

"Seat belts," he said as he put the key in the ignition and started the truck.

Rebekah grabbed her seat belt and drew it across her chest and over her lap, hoping that it actually worked and didn't break as they were driving.

* * *

"So where do you live?" Matt asked her after they'd pulled away from the bar and were on one of the busier streets in the Marina.

"I live Downtown. Is that going to be too far?" she replied, looking out the window. The fog was starting to roll in, and she thought it added a good ambiance to her sour mood. She'd been stood up by a man she'd never met and had been semi-forced to even meet in the first place. And to add to it, Matt Donovan was now giving her a ride home. She should have just called a cab but part of her wanted to accept his offer. It had been so genuine that she couldn't really deny the generosity.

"No, not too far," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "Why did you take a cab, anyway? Don't you have a car?"

"I do, but I wasn't sure how much I would be drinking and wanted to be safe." She looked down at her phone. "I guess that was a wasted effort," she mumbled.

Matt laughed softly. "Well, that guy is an idiot and now you know you won't need to bother with him anymore."

Rebekah pursed her lips. "I wish it were that easy."

Matt was going to ask for clarification when his phone rang. He maneuvered it out of his pocket and saw the caller ID, his jaw tensing. "Hello?"

Rebekah looked over and saw that he'd answered his phone while driving. She was going to have fun lecturing him when he hung up. It was against the law to not talk on your phone and drive and Mr. Perfect Bar Owner was never going to hear the end of it from her.

"Wait, wait, slow down. What happened?" he said as he moved to pull the car over and Rebekah frowned, watching her chances of teasing him fly away. "He left you _where_?" He hit his hand against the steering wheel and Rebekah knew that whomever he was talking to seemed important to him.

Matt glanced at Rebekah and tried to give her an apologetic smile but his sister, Vicki, was practically screeching at him on the other end of the phone in a drunken, hysteric stupor. "Okay, I'll come and get you then. No, _stay there_, Victoria. I just have to drop a friend off and then I can come. If you move from that spot I'll never help you again," he warned, sighing. "Yes, call me if anything happens or if you just want to talk. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up the phone and put the truck back in gear, heading for Downtown.

"Is everything okay?" Rebekah asked, watching as his face changed and hardened with his newly somber mood.

"What? Oh yeah, fine. I'm just going to drop you off and then head across the Bay to get my sister. She…she's an idiot sometimes."

Rebekah nodded. She knew how idiot siblings could be, Kol coming instantly to her mind. "Well, is she okay? Is she in danger?"

Matt shrugged. "It's always hard to tell with Vic. She's home for the summer from school and is staying with some friends in Concord. But, I guess she went out with one of her ex boyfriends and he stranded her over in Livermore."

Rebekah had not been across the Bay much in her life, and had no real idea of the places he was talking about, but she sensed that his sister had been left alone far from where she was staying. "Head straight for the bridge, I'm going with you."

"What?" Matt asked, looking over at her. "That's…why?"

"Because," Rebekah continued, the determination in her voice apparent, "Your sister needs you and family is important. Family comes first." She wondered if she were in the same situation would her brothers drive all that way to help her? Kol would surely laugh in her face and hang up on her; Klaus would probably want a favor in return in the future; Elijah would be the most likely to do it without wanting anything from her, but it'd secure her a lecture the entire drive home.

"But I mean, I can just drop you real quick and then be on my way –"

"Do you want to sit here and argue with me or do you want to go and rescue your sister? Drive, Donovan."

"Yes, ma'am," came his response and he got on the next entry ramp for the freeway, heading straight for the Bay Bridge.

The car ride over to the East Bay was mostly quiet aside from the radio and a call from Vicki. She'd called crying trying to apologize for making Matt come and get her, but he'd been sweet with her, just assuring her that he was going to be there soon and that she should not worry.

Rebekah's heart melted a little as she overheard the conversation, liking how understanding he was with his sister. It was obvious the girl was a hot mess and he was probably used to taking care of her a lot. But, there was no malice in his tone and replies to her and it made her miss when she and her siblings had been younger and she and Niklaus were close like that. She sighed when he hung up, looking out the window, watching as the highway passed quickly by them.

"We're almost there. I really appreciate you coming along, Rebekah," Matt said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

She looked down at his hand before he pulled it away and then up at him, smiling softly. "It's fine, really. I just hope she's going to be okay."

"She will be. This is classic, Vic, and as much as I'll be annoyed about it in the morning, she's my sister and I love her."

Rebekah just nodded, not saying anything back. She was jealous of the relationship Matt had with his sister, and she wondered if this whole dating experiment her father was making her and her brothers go through was really going to bring the family closer together.

A few minutes later they pulled off of the freeway and up to a twenty-four hour diner. Rebekah saw a girl sitting outside on the curb of the sidewalk by the entrance and she got up the second she saw the truck pull up.

Matt put the car in park and got out of the car, meeting his sister and wrapping his arms around her. Rebekah could see the visible sobs coming from the girl as she buried her face into her brother's chest. Matt stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. Rebekah wasn't sure if she was going to be able to help. Maybe coming along for the ride was a mistake, she already felt like she was an invader on their private, sibling bonding moment.

Matt walked Vicki over to the car and she slid in next to Rebekah, occupying the middle of the long bench seat. "Hi," she said, her voice a little hoarse and meek. "I'm Vicki. I'm sorry for interrupting your date."

"Oh, we weren't on a date," Rebekah corrected, smiling at Matt's sister as he slid in next to her, pulling the truck out of the lot and back towards the highway. "I'm Rebekah. Are you okay?"

Vicki shrugged. "I guess. I just feel really embarrassed. He said some really mean things to me and I made sort of a scene and Matt is just the best for coming all the way over here for me." She leaned over and Matt draped his arm over her shoulders. She snuggled close to her brother and Rebekah could see the smile on his face.

"I wouldn't worry about Matt. He wasn't even mad or bothered to come all this way," Rebekah added, gaining an appreciative glance from Matt.

"Thanks, both of you. I know this was such a drag," Vicki mumbled, sighing. She closed her eyes and Matt held her tighter against him.

_There have been worse things_, Rebekah thought but didn't voice out loud, not wanting to add any bad vibes to the already sullen mood radiating off of Vicki Donovan. They drove for another half an hour and brought Vicki to her friend's house. She reached over and hugged Rebekah, apologizing once again, but was told it wasn't necessary.

"Just, be nice to my brother," Vicki warned with a wink and Rebekah resisted the urge to tell her that that also wasn't necessary as there was nothing happening between the two of them in that way.

She watched as Matt walked Vicki to the door and hugged her, before he walked back to the truck, rubbing his eyes. "Crisis averted," he murmured with a laugh. He pulled away from the house, heading back to the highway yet again.

"I'm sorry, Matt. But, you did a really great thing for her just now."

Matt nodded. "I know. And thanks for coming with me. It's nice to have the company."

They rode again in silence until they passed over the Bay Bridge for a second time that night and were back into the city before Rebekah even realized. A part of her was sad that their little impromptu road trip was already coming to an end, but then she reminded herself that she didn't like Matt and should be happy to be going home finally. It was very late now and the tiredness was starting to settle over her body.

Matt pulled up to her building and she undid her seat belt, smiling at him. "Here we are, home sweet home."

Rebekah pursed her lips. "While I am grateful, I wonder why you offered to drive me home? Why were you so nice after we haven't exactly gotten along?"

Matt shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much about any kind of ulterior motives. You were bummed about your date not showing up and I just wanted to be a nice guy."

"You're right," she agreed. "It was nice and I appreciate it." She reached for the door handle and got out of the car, waving at him.

"Goodbye, Rebekah."

"Goodbye, Matt. Thanks for the ride." She turned around and walked towards the front door of her building, noticing that he didn't pull away until she was safely inside.

* * *

**Longest chapter yet! I really hope you guys are all enjoying the story so far. My beta, Katie, told me that she thinks this is some of my best writing and can tell how invested I am into it, which made me smile. I hope you all continue to be invested as well!**

**Jeremy will be making his real appearance in the next chapter and we can finally really start to get this whole show on the road!**

**Leave me reviews and tell me what you think!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kady**


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh my god, wow, how much do I suck for not updating for a month! I can't believe it's been that long and I sincerely apologize for the wait, and I hope that there are still people interested in reading this story! Long story short, I got a new job and have been working nonstop with the demanding hours and it's just taken a lot for me to sit down and write. But, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter! **

* * *

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

Rebekah rolled over in bed and groaned at the intruding noise.

_Pound. Pound. Pound._

Nope, no way. She was not going to answer her door. She didn't have to look at her alarm clock on the nightstand table next to her bed to know that it was an ungodly hour.

_Slap. Slap. Slap._

"Rebekah!" came a muffled screech. "Open this door this instant. I don't want to wake your neighbors."

Rebekah groaned again and sighed, opening her eyes. She blinked to clear her vision before she sat up slowly and stretched her arms above her head. She moved the blankets off of her body and got up, walking out of her bedroom and to her front door.

She looked through the peephole and frowned, confirming her suspicions about who decided that waking her up early on a weekend morning was a good idea.

"I know you see me, open up, young lady!"

Rebekah held back a giggle and unlatched the chain, unlocking the door and opening it. "Good morning, mother. So nice to see you at," she grabbed the cell phone out of her mother's hand and looked at the time, "six am." She sighed as her mother pushed past her into the apartment, and closed the door.

"Your apartment is messier than I remember," Esther commented, clearing a space for herself to sit on the couch. She set her purse next to her and looked up at her daughter expectantly. "Well? I'd love some coffee."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Of course. It was so nice of you to not want to wake my neighbors, but you can come all the way over here to demand that I make you a cup of coffee?" She walked into her kitchen and started a pot for her mother, also looking around for something edible, knowing her mother would demand a pastry, or biscuit, or her first born child.

"Really, Rebekah, all of these dramatics are unwarranted. You shouldn't sleep so long, anyway. Not when the city is going to be beautiful today and you have a date."

Rebekah gripped the counter and turned around slowly to face the older woman. "A date? I'm sorry, but I don't remember making any plans for a date today."

"I know, dear, but I was speaking with Kol and you've already blown him off so much. You need to meet the Gilbert boy and see if the two of you are compatible."

It wasn't Rebekah's fault that it had been a week since Jeremy had stood her up at Donovan's…a week since the last time she had seen Matt.

"My and Jeremy's schedules just haven't been able to match up. I figured he would call and let me know when he was available and wouldn't stand me up again."

Esther sighed. "I understand your hesitation. This whole contest seems silly to even me sometimes. But, your father's end goal is to ensure your happiness."

The coffee pot dinged, signaling Esther's cup was ready. Rebekah added half a teaspoon of sugar and some milk to the cup before walking it over to her mother. "At this point, I don't care about this little contest. I doubt any of them will find someone I like, so what's the harm?"

"Kol seems to think he's found the perfect match."

"Kol also thinks he's the most handsome man in the world. I don't see your point, mother."

Esther frowned. "You're meeting with Kol for breakfast in one hour. Go and talk to him and settle things so that you can meet with Jeremy later. Stop being so negative."

Rebekah could not believe her mother was lecturing her over this. She and Jeremy had tried to get together a few times since he stood her up and it was not _her_ fault if she was busy when he was free, and vice versa. But, instead of arguing with her stubborn mother, she got up and headed for her shower, rolling her eyes as she watched her mother rifle through her mail.

* * *

"Ah, there she is," Kol acknowledged, as he stood up from his chair and kissed his sister on the cheek. She joined him, sitting across from him and setting her things down in an empty chair at the table. "Thank you for joining me."

Rebekah shrugged. "I like free breakfast."

Kol laughed. He'd asked Rebekah to join him at the Sir Francis Drake in Union Square, knowing it was a favorite of hers, to make sure that he was on her good side before she was finally going to meet with his choice, Jeremy Gilbert.

"I took the liberty of ordering you a mimosa," he told her, as she grabbed the menu.

"Thank you." She glanced up and eyed her brother as he sat there, staring and smiling at her. "Okay, what is this? What's the catch?"

"Catch? There's no catch," Kol replied, a grin spreading across his lips.

Rebekah narrowed her gaze. "Oh really? Because, you hate me, Kol. In fact, you hate _everyone_. It's wonder that that Anna girl is even dating you. So, is this some sort of trick to get me to pick your choice?"

"Not exactly."

"Then?"

Kol sighed as their mimosas reached the table and they told the waiter that they'd need more time to decide what they wanted to order. "I just want…I wanted you to see that I'm taking this whole thing seriously. I know at first it seemed like one big joke that father was playing on _all of us_, but I am taking it seriously now. I honestly do think that you and Jeremy could hit it off."

Rebekah was quiet as she listened to her brother and could see that there was a kind of sincerity to his words. It might not have been much, but it was there…somewhere.

"Well, I am going to take the date seriously, too. I know it seems like a dumb idea, especially to me, but what have I got to lose?" She reached for her glass and sipped from her mimosa. "It just already doesn't bode well for him as he stood me up."

Kol sighed again. "I know, I know. We both feel terrible about that because that's not how we wanted this whole introduction to start out. But, he's meeting you this afternoon. I give you my word, little sister."

"Alright," she agreed, looking over her menu again. "I am anxious to meet him. I didn't know that you even had any friends. Especially college students."

"I met him through Anna a long time ago."

"A long time ago? Haven't you just started dating her?"

"Yes, but she's had a crush on me for ages. I just finally decided to give her a shot."

Rebekah arched an eyebrow. "Well, how very thoughtful of you, Kol. Always a giver."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Right. Anyway, just give Jeremy a shot. I'd really love to be the one to take over the company when father retires…for real this time."

"Why, so you can stick it to Niklaus and Elijah?"

Kol shrugged. "I can't lie, that is part of the appeal. But, I also feel like I'm ready to take control. I want to be a part of something bigger than myself. I want to amount to something."

Rebekah's jaw dropped a little. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with my brother, Kol?"

Kol laughed. "Relax, I'm still here. But maybe…maybe I'm not the only one who is looking for some life altering changes."

The waiter came back and they ordered and Rebekah thought over Kol's words. It hit her that her brothers had just as much to lose or gain as her and while she, of course, was going to treat her date with Jeremy with seriousness, she now wanted to make this a fair fight against all of the Mikaelson men.

* * *

"Knock, knock."

Matt looked up from his paperwork and saw his sister standing in the doorway to his office. "Hey," he greeted, not expecting to see her in the city, let alone his office. "When did you get in?"

She shrugged. "Earlier this morning. I hope you're not mad, one of the bartenders let me in."

The bar wasn't open yet but Matt had a couple of the guys come in early so they could set up while he caught up on paperwork. "That's fine. Have a seat," he said, motioning for her to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk.

Vicki nodded and sat down, putting her feet up against the desk. "I feel like I haven't been here in so long."

"You haven't," he agreed, frowning at her feet on his desk but not pushing them off. "When you came back a couple of weeks ago, you went straight to Michelle's."

Vicki looked at her nails. "I didn't want to be in the way."

"In the way of what? Look around you, this is my life. It's not like I have much going on for you to get in the way of."

Vicki grinned. "You have a girlfriend."

"Now why would you –" Matt started and then he remembered that Rebekah had gone with him to pick up Vicki last week. "Oh, _her_. Yeah, she's not my girlfriend."

"Then why did she come with you to pick me up?"

Matt shrugged and looked down at his papers. "Because she offered to come. And I thought, hey why not, I could use the company."

"Right," Vicki said, smiling.

"No, don't even, Vic. It's not like that with her. She's…she's…just, no."

Vicki nodded her head in mock understanding. "Yeah, I can see that. I mean, you're obviously so articulate when I just mention her so yeah, _nothing_ is going on between the two of you."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Knock it off. Trust me, she and I will never be anything. I bet you won't even see her again."

Vicki moved her feet off of the desk and sat up. "And what about you, Matty? How many times have you seen her since you picked me up last week?"

"Zero," he answered with a triumphant grin on his face. Sure, he'd thought about Rebekah in the past week and wondered why he hadn't seen her. But then he'd had to remind himself that nothing was going on between the two of them and his mind moved onto more pressing matters, like making sure he had his record books straight.

"Whatever," Vicki said, in the mood to change the subject. "How's Tyler?" "He's fine, traveling I think. Or he just came back to the Bay. I can't remember."

Vicki was quiet for a minute. "Is he…seeing anyone?"

Matt frowned as he glanced up at his sister. "No, Vic. I'm not going through that again with the two of you."

"What? I was just asking about him. Besides, he and I are ancient history."

"Uh huh," Matt said, shaking his head. "And yes, he's seeing someone. Well, I think he still is."

"Oh? Some model again?"

Matt scoffed. "He wishes. No, he's seeing this nice girl named April. She's too good for him but probably won't figure that out until he's an ass to her. She's friends with Rebekah."

Vicki grinned. "Ah, the plot thickens."

"Nothing is thickening. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do."

Vicki stood up and started to walk away before turning around. "I'm going to be crashing at your place for the next couple of days. I need a break from Michelle."

Matt fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to his sister. "Be careful with my truck, don't eat all of my pop tarts like you did last time, and no dirty underwear on the bathroom floor."

"Yes dad," Vicki mumbled before stepping out of his office.

* * *

After breakfast with her brother, Rebekah had done some shopping to pass the time before her meet up with Jeremy Gilbert. He'd picked an interesting spot to meet her at, The Golden Gate Bridge. Rebekah had driven across it a few times but had never _walked_ across it, which was exactly what Jeremy had proposed.

She'd parked in the parking lot, happy to find a space, and walked over to the small restaurant next to the lot and bridge to wait for him. She fluffed her hair and checked her make up, looking up every time she heard the door open. She was nervous. She'd been nervous the night she'd been stood up too, but there had also been the added nerves of Matt Donovan to make that night worse.

Matt Donovan.

She shook her head to rid her mind of his face, not wanting to think about him right now when she was about to go on a date with another guy. She'd been a little childish and petty when she'd wanted to bring Jeremy to Donovan's, but she was past all of that now. She wanted to take this seriously, especially after hearing Kol's little speech this morning. She'd basically written him off when the competition had first been announced, but now she wanted him to have a fair chance like her other brothers' choices would. She may not get along with Kol as easily as with Klaus and Elijah, but she did love Kol and in the end she didn't care who got to take over for their father.

"Rebekah?" she heard someone say as she blinked a few times to clear her mind and focus on what was in front of her. Or, _who_ was in front of her.

A brown haired guy with dark eyes and a nice smile was looking at her expectantly and she got up from the chair she was sitting in and smiled back.

"Oh hi, Jeremy?" she asked, reaching her hand out to shake his. "I'm Rebekah, yes."

"Hi," he said as he shook her hand back. "I'm really sorry about last week. I just had this big project due and Kol didn't give me all of the right information, and I just didn't want you to meet me with already low expectations."

Rebekah shook her head. "No, it's fine. It wasn't a big deal." She looked him over and noticed that he had an impressive build for an art student. She usually thought of art students as more lean and lanky, surviving off of cigarettes, chocolate bars, and coffee. "You're here now, so that's all that matters."

Jeremy nodded in agreement. "Yeah. So, I thought we'd just walk the length of the bridge and back. I know it's a little windy and foggy but this is my favorite kind of weather, and why I love the Bay so much."

"That sounds fine." She gathered her hair into a ponytail and tied it back, not wanting it to irritate her in the wind. "I've never walked the bridge in all of the years that I've been here."

"Really? I just thought it'd be nice to get out and do something, and talk and get to know each other. It seems better than just sitting at a table and doing the same thing."

"Okay," she agreed, following him outside. She took a mental note that he held the door open for her and she liked that. "You lead the way, I don't know where the path begins."

Jeremy nodded and put his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt and led her to where the path along the bridge started heading north. He smiled at her as she fell into step with him and admired her beauty. "Kol didn't tell me you were so attractive."

"Oh? Did you think I was going to be hideous?"

"No, not exactly," Jeremy said with a laugh as he moved out of the way of a passing biker. "He just didn't say much."

"Well, what did he say?" Rebekah knew that the brothers weren't allowed to tell the guys that they chose the _reason_ for the dates or about the competition at all, so she was curious as to how Kol had persuaded Jeremy to go on a date with her.

"At first he said that you were dying of cancer and I was your only shot at getting laid."

Rebekah stopped walking and felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "He _what_?"

Jeremy laughed to try and defuse her anger. "He said he was just kidding _right_ after, if that's any consolation."

"Not really. I'm going to kill him regardless of what you say next."

"Well, he just said that you were looking to be set up and that he thought you and I might hit it off."

Rebekah was quiet for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, and then she started to walk again. "Well, he didn't tell me much about you either."

"That's okay," Jeremy said, "I can do that myself. Hi, my name is Jeremy Gilbert. I'm a twenty-two-year-old art student at the Academy of Art Institutes. I live in a loft by myself thanks to a lovely fortune left to me by my dead parents, and I like hockey."

Rebekah looked over at him, seeing that he wasn't joking about the dead parents part. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

Jeremy shrugged. "It happened when I was younger. I've had my time to grieve. My sister, Elena, was worse about it. They died in a car accident and she was in the car."

"Oh, that sounds horrible," Rebekah added, sighing. "I don't know what I'd do in that situation."

"Yeah. It was pretty rough on us, but we made it through okay. She's better now. She lives in New York with her boyfriend, Damon."

"That sounds nice. Do you see her a lot? Do you like him?"

"He's alright. He's kind of a dick a lot, but she likes him so that's more important. If he were totally wrong for her, I'd voice my opinion more." Rebekah nodded as he spoke, liking that it seemed like he had a strong relationship with his sister. It reminded her of Matt, but she let that thought pass quickly. "I'm an adult, she's an adult, and we both have to just make our own decisions."

"That's good," she commented. "I like that you both seem pretty level headed. But, I mean, I don't know her to really say much."

"You don't know me."

"Yes," Rebekah agreed with a grin. "But isn't that the point of today?"

"It is. So, tell me about you."

"Okay. Well, I have four brothers, and three of them work with my father and one lives in England with his wife. I don't see him much. He's kind of a recluse and likes to be away from the States and us. He says we're a dysfunctional family and he'd rather be on his own. He's also a little bit of a dullard so no one minds the absence too much."

Jeremy laughed softly. "That sounds weird. I mean, I've never met your other brothers but Kol always talks about them in high regard."

"The three of them are close," she agreed. "Kol may be annoying most of the time, but Niklaus and Elijah do respect that he takes his job seriously."

"Yeah. He is always rambling on about some sort of new technology and I try not to be rude, but sometimes I don't care. I'm not an electronics kind of guy, but more of a paint and brush or drawing type."

"That's awesome. I work at the art museum in the city."

"You do? I'll have to come and say hi when I'm there next. I try and go a couple times a month, especially when you guys have new exhibits."

Rebekah nodded, moving out of the way of a line of school children on a field trip. She looked out over the railings and saw a few sailboats in the harbor. The fog was rolling in but it was still visible enough to where she could see the Presidio and parts of Golden Gate Park. "Well, I'm a social media coordinator there. I'm not there five days a week or anything, but I pop in at least a couple days a week. But yes, definitely, I'd love company whenever."

Jeremy smiled and grabbed her hand to move her out of the way of a biker going way too fast. "Sorry," he said, dropping her hand. "That asshole would have clipped you."

Rebekah bit her bottom lip and shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not a prude. If you wanted to hold my hand all you had to do was ask."

Jeremy leaned in a little closer to her and he could see as she visibly swallowed. "If I wanted to hold your hand, I don't think I'd have to ask your permission."

Rebekah looked into his eyes and could see the playful smirk spreading across his lips. She just might like this Jeremy Gilbert after all. "Isn't that a little rude? You're assuming that I wouldn't mind it if you held my hand or not."

Jeremy let his eyes dart to her mouth as she licked her lips and his smirk widened to a grin. "Something tells me you like it when a man takes control."

Rebekah's jaw dropped a little and she shook her head, pushing him away from her with a playful laugh. "Whoa, slow down there, Gilbert. You don't even know my favorite color yet."

"Pink?" he guessed as they started to walk again.

She shook her head. "Nope. Maroon. I like how it's almost a mix of red and purple. I just like dark colors."

"You probably look really hot in maroon."

Rebekah felt her cheeks grow warm. It was nice to be complimented by him. She wasn't sure how this little date was going to go, so it was comforting to see it wasn't going to be a complete disaster.

"Come here," Jeremy said, grabbing her hand. He walked her closer to the railing and pointed out onto the horizon where the fog was really starting to roll in. May in the Bay Area didn't mean much in terms of summer weather, and Rebekah was glad she'd brought a jacket. "You see that?"

"See what? The fog?"

"Yeah, _the fog_," Jeremy replied, shaking his head. "Instead of just looking at the fog and how it just brings bad weather, look at the way it's going to coat the city. It's almost like it's rolling in like a blanket. Doesn't it look awesome?"

Rebekah watched as he pointed out the meaning of his words and she nodded. She'd never really thought to look at fog as more than just fog, so it was cool to see Jeremy's artistic perspective. "It does look interesting," she agreed.

He smiled at her and zipped up his jacket as the wind picked up. "Maybe we should head back. It's getting a little chilly. But, Kol and I were thinking that we could double date, like me and you and him and Anna."

"Oh," Rebekah replied, not really having thought of that as a good idea until he'd mentioned it. "Okay. Yeah, but not tonight right?"

"No. We were thinking tomorrow night, if you're free."

Rebekah thought for a moment to see if there was anything she had going on. "Yes, I'm free. What did you guys have in mind?"

"Oh, you'll see," Jeremy said with a wink as they made their way back towards the end of the bridge that they started at.

* * *

"Bowling?" Rebekah asked as she walked into Lucky Strike with Kol, Anna, and Jeremy. When the Gilbert boy had suggested a double date she'd never in a million years thought that bowling would be the answer. She looked over at her brother who was smiling as if he had not a care in the world. "You really want to go bowling?"

"This was Anna and Jeremy's idea," he whispered to her, "Stop being a brat and let's have a good time."

Rebekah rolled her eyes but followed them all to the counter. The boys fought over who would pay, with Kol eventually winning out, and then shoes were given and they were directed towards a lane.

"Have you ever been?" Jeremy asked her as they walked together with Kol and Anna a little ahead.

"Um, wow, not since I was little maybe. Bowling isn't exactly high on my to-do list." She glanced over at him and noticed that his face fell a little. "But, I'm happy we're here. Since I obviously don't get to do this much, it's a nice change." He perked up a little at her added response and she let herself relax. This could be fun. After all, wasn't she supposed to be embracing new things?

She sat down next to Anna in a chair and started to remove her shoes to replace them with the supplied bowling pair.

"I'm sorry if you hate it here," Anna said as she laced up her own pair. "I just like this place. It's a little more classy than most bowling alleys."

"It's fine, honestly," Rebekah told her, realizing that Kol was right – she didn't want to be a brat tonight, she wanted to have _fun_.

Just as she was done putting on the rental shoes, there was a loud cheering noise from across the room and Rebekah shook her head. "Some people just have to be so loud – oh my god!"

"What?" Jeremy asked, glancing over his shoulder at the noise. "Oh, whoa, is that Tyler Lockwood?"

Rebekah's fist clenched as she saw Tyler, April, Matt, and Vicki all at a lane together. "Excuse me for one second," she huffed as she practically stomped across the room over to them. How the hell was she supposed to enjoy her second date with Jeremy with Matt Donovan's stupid face getting in the way?

She reached them and was met with a surprised look from April. "Oh, Rebekah, hey – ow, that's my arm," she groaned as Rebekah grabbed her firmly by the elbow and pulled her away.

"What the hell are you doing here, April?"

"I'm bowling, silly. What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I, too, am bowling. And I'm on a date!"

April looked past Rebekah's shoulder and spotted Jeremy standing next to Kol. "Oh! Is that Kol's choice? Wow, he's cute!"

"Who cares if he's cute! Why are you here with Tyler Lockwood?" Rebekah hissed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Um, because we're kind of dating."

"Ew, I thought that was a one time thing."

"Obviously not. What's the big deal, anyway?"

"I don't like him for you."

"Okay, thanks, mom," April said with a roll of her eyes.

Rebekah sighed and was about to reply when she saw Matt walk over to where she and April were standing. "Is everything okay?" he asked, looking first at April and then Rebekah.

"Yep, everything is perfectly fine," April responded before giving Rebekah a narrow glance. She backed away and mimicked a texting motion with her hands before turning around to rejoin Tyler and Vicki, leaving Rebekah alone with Matt.

"Hey," Matt greeted, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Hi," Rebekah replied. "I see Vicki looks to be in better spirits."

"What? Oh yeah, she's fine. She's always fine. Just staying with me for a couple of days."

Rebekah nodded. "That sounds nice."

"Yep."

"Yep."

Silence.

"So, are you here to join us?" Matt asked, and Rebekah told herself that she did not hear any kind of hopeful tone in his voice. She had to have imagined it.

"Oh, no. I actually had no idea that you guys were going to be here."

"That's cool. Who are you here with?"

Rebekah looked back over her shoulder. "My brother and his girlfriend. And my date."

"So he finally showed up," Matt observed jokingly with a smile.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Yes, and how kind of you to remember me getting stood up. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Princess." He dodged a smack from her and laughed. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a bowler."

"Well, there's lots you don't know about me, Donovan."

"Oh, well, excuse me."

Rebekah sighed. This could go on forever. "Well, I should be getting back to my date."

Matt nodded. "Sure. Have a good time. Try not to break a nail."

Rebekah turned on her heel and started to walk away from him with a shake of her head. She could do this – she could be on a date with Jeremy with Matt in the same room. She had wanted to do it at his bar last week, so tonight would be no different.

"Everything okay?" Jeremy asked as she rejoined her group.

"Yes, fine. Who's first?" she asked, deciding that distracting herself with actually playing the game was going to be the best bet when it came to ignoring Matt Donovan for the night.

* * *

**Yay! The competition has officially begun! And oh would you look at that, Rebekah just cannot escape Matt wherever she goes ;) **

**Leave me reviews and let me know what you think! **

**I'll do my very best to update faster, I definitely do not want to have it be another month before I update again!**

**xoxo,**  
**Kady**


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